UNFPA Egypt marked Egyptian Women’s Day with a private screening of award-winning film ‘Snow White,’ on March 16. For the first time in Egyptian cinema, the film features a lead actress with dwarfism and highlights the challenges and social stigmas surrounding women with disabilities in Egypt.

In 2020, the film received a UNFPA Special Award titled “Women’s empowerment & advancing gender equality” under a partnership with the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF). Through the partnership with CIFF, UNFPA aims to inspire and advocate for storylines on topics related reproductive health, gender inequality, discrimination and gender-based violence as well as other population issues.

‘Snow White’ stars Mariam Sherif, the first Egyptian woman with dwarfism to star in a leading role, rendering the film a landmark in Egypt and the region.

The private screening was organized with the Royal Embassy of Norway and attended by President of the National Council for Women in Egypt, Judge Amal Ammar, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt Elena Panova, UNFPA Representative in Egypt Yves Sassenrath, Head of Development and Business Cooperation at the Royal Norwegian Embassy Kjersti Lindoe, the film’s lead actress Mariam Sherif, Director Taghreed Aboul Hosn as well as a large number of UNFPA’s partners from the UN, universities, civil society, national stakeholders, film industry and volunteers. The screening was followed by a discussion with the production team.

“UNFPA is proud to celebrate Egyptian Women's Day by highlighting Snow White, a powerful story of empowerment, inclusion, and equal rights,” Sassenrath said.

UNFPA works towards more inclusive societies, through ensuring that persons with disabilities, especially women and girls, live free from violence, and are empowered with equal rights and knowledge and make informed decisions about their lives.

At the CIFF’s 2018, 2019 and 2020 editions, UNFPA contributed with the “Conscious Media Award” and the “Women’s Empowerment Award” to celebrate films that create an impact and shed light on gender and population issues. The awards were given to Poisonous Roses, Un Fils and Snow White respectively.

According to a study conducted in 2022 by the National Council for Women, in partnership with UNFPA, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), UN Women and UNDP, 34 percent of ever-married women experienced disability-based violence by their husbands, while 48 percent experienced psychological, physical, sexual or disability-based violence by family members or within their surrounding environment since the age of 15.